DIBRUGARH, Jan 28 - Tea garden workers today took out a massive protest march from Chaulkhowa playground to Chowkidinghee ground here as part of the statewide protest against the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill 2016 and on the issue of Scheduled Tribe (ST) status.
Thousands of workers from almost all the tea estates in the district assembled at Chaulkhowa playground before taking to the streets. The tea estates were practically closed in the district today. The protest march was organised jointly by Assam Chah Mazdoor Sangh, Assam Tea Tribes Students� Association (ATTSA) and other organsations of the plantation industry.
The TE workers demanded that the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill 2016 be withdrawn. They also slammed the BJP government at the Centre and the state for allegedly making bid to divide the tea garden communities by proposing ST only for a select 36 communities out of some 108 communities toiling in the plantations. The protest rally at Chaulkhowa was addressed by ATTSA and ACMS leaders.
ANN service adds from Digboi: Shouting slogans against the Sarbananda Sonowal-led BJP government in the State, the people of the tea tribe community from various tea garden areas in Digboi-Pengaree area organised a huge rally to protest against the implemetation of the CAB here from Brahmajan Tinali to Pengree Charali unddr Pengaree police station in Tinsukia district.
The demonstrators assembling under the banner of Assam Mazdoor Sangha, All Assam Tea Tribe Students� Association (AATTSA) and other tea tribe bodies took to the streets and torched the effigy of Prime Minister Narndra Modi, Assam Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal, State Finance Minister Himata Biswa Sarma at Pengree Chariali for being indifferent towards the bonafide cause of the state of Asaam in regard to implementation of the CAB against the interest of the indigeneous people of Assam and the tea tribe community in particular.
The AATTSA activists demanded of the BJP government at the Centre and the State as well to immediately scrap the said Bill beside according ST status to the people of the tea tribe community and hike in the daily wage of the garden workers to Rs 350 per day.
Among others, the meeting was attended by tea tribe leaders and Congressman Gautam Dhanowar, AATTSA leader Kamal Tanti, AASU activist Biplob Neog and Debojit Sunar an activist of Pengaree-Bordumsa unit of AJYCP.
